JJ Pegues, IDL/FB, Ole Miss
Size:
Height: 6024
Weight: 309
Arm: 32 ½”
Hand: 9 ⅜”
Accomplishments:
Third-Team All-SEC (2024)
“JJ Pegues is one of the most uniquely versatile players in this draft with the potential to be an impact defensive tackle and useful fullback option.”
Strengths:
Athleticism
Pass-rush ability
Versatility
Initial burst
Concerns:
Effort/conditioning
Pass-rush counters
Anchor vs double teams
Film Analysis:
A former high school tight end, JJ Pegues earned a four-star ranking at Oxford High School in Oxford, Mississippi. As a senior, he helped lead the football team to the Class 6A state championship and lettered in basketball, which is easy to see on his tape. He committed to Auburn out of high school, and after his freshman season in 2020, Pegues transitioned to defensive tackle for his sophomore season, where he appeared in 13 games with minimal impact.
He transferred to Ole Miss for the remainder of his collegiate career and compiled quite the resume. He appeared in 38 games for the Rebels, racking up 110 tackles (51 solo), 27 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks while adding seven passes defensed. He was useful on offense as a short-yardage/goal-line back, where he scored seven offensive touchdowns and showed promise as a situational pass protector.
Pegues is one of the most versatile players in this draft, and while not on the same level as Travis Hunter, he will play both sides for a team at some point in his career. His value as a fullback in pass protection and short yardage will contribute to first downs and some touchdowns at the next level. He sees gaps and space well, which allows him to exploit seams along the offensive line as a defensive tackle. Ole Miss did tons of stunting and looping against the run, which contributed to the loss of gap discipline and trying to avoid blocks on Pegues’ part. He made an impact when he used his length to anchor in a gap paired with his first-step explosiveness. It’s inconsistent, but he can knife into gaps and cause havoc in the backfield when he times the jump right.
He flashes power at the point of attack, but he needs to use his hands more instead of throwing shoulder pads around. That will allow him to locate the football more easily and disengage quickly. While he uses a kickstand to attempt anchoring against double teams, he gets dislodged from gaps laterally and vertically too often; he needs to improve that.
Pegues is a gifted mover with fast hands and an advanced understanding of rushing the passer from any alignment. Thanks to his somewhat poor usage at Ole Miss, he has experience rushing against every position along the offensive line. He boasts an impressive hop-slap-rip move that he uses to beat tackles around the edge and a spin move inside against slower lateral movers. With his fast hands, Pegues has access to two-hand swipes and rip moves to consistently impact the quarterback, but his effort is questionable, particularly if his first rush move is stifled. His stop/start threshold is quite low after his initial burst, and he struggles to change direction late in the rep. He played at a heavier weight than he measured in at the NFL Combine, and that has raised some conditioning concerns for me when watching the pursuit effort and coming off the field as frequently as he did.
When Pegues puts it all together on a few reps, he shows all the tools to be a scheme and alignment versatile impact defensive tackle in the NFL. With pop in his hands, knifing ability against the run and pass, and prowess as a pass rusher, the tools are all there to succeed. The effort and possible weight concerns keep him from reaching the bigger picture.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Kentucky (2024), LSU (2024), Oklahoma (2024), South Carolina (2024)
